Merry Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Is there any curriculum that comes close to the style of the movie? I guess I'm a bit burned out from last year's heavy emphasis on textbooks and "Great Books" not that I'm against those. I'd like to try to add something charming and light to the curriculum this year. I don't mean that we would be dancing or singing but I guess I just want to lighten up but don't see how I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Well, we absolutely loved doing the Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings aloud all together last year for literature. (We skipped writing anything down and just had fun reading the books aloud at night, and then going over the wonderful notes and discussion questions for each chapter, and enjoyed reading aloud the additional units of material -- doing workbook pages and assigned writing for such a wonderful trilogy would have turned that study from "Enchanted" into "Marooned" (BAD Gene Hackman astronaut film of the 70s!) in a heartbeat here!) How about "lightening up" geography by once a week eating your way around the world and watching a movie set in that countries that your meal was from? Rent from Netflix or from the library a travelog film or a PBS episode of "Rick Steves" travels around the world, or Michael Palin's "Full Circle." Or get a feature film set in a foreign locale -- like the very silly spoofy "Ballywood" musical version of Pride and Prejudice set in modern day Ameritsa India called "Bride and Prejudice" watch it after a meal of curry and naan! Or try one of these other family-friendly films: - Mongolia = "The Weeping Camel" = gentle, charming story of nomadic family - Iraq = "Baran" = beautiful but sad modern-day Cinderella-like story - South Africa = "Duma" = richly colorful film adventures of a boy and a cheetah - Eastern Europe = "I Am David" = escape, struggle, journey, and redemption after WW2 Italy = "Enchanted April" = sweet, fun, redeeming: 4 sad English women bloom on a flower-covered Italian island in 1920 - Ireland = "The Secret of Roan Innish" = magical and charming legend comes to life - Great Britian/India = "The Secret Garden" = beautiful, magical, life-affirming - Arabia = "The Thief of Baghdad" = charming, fun and magical B&W SILENT FILM with Douglas Fairbanks - New Zealand = "Whale Rider" = a young Maori girl comes to understand her heritage - Thailand = "The King and I" or "Anna and the King" = lush settings, even if the stories are completely off from the truth - Morroco = "Casablanca" (classic B&W Bogie film) or "Road to Morroco" (classic Hope & Crosby road picture) - Japan = "Spirited Away" = breath-taking, incredible animated magical adventure in a Japanese spirit world - American South = "Because of Winn-Dixie" = a girl and her dog bring reconciliation - nature settings = "Rivers and Tides" = incredible artwork of Irish nature artist Andy Goldworthy Enjoy! Warmly, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Is there any curriculum that comes close to the style of the movie? I guess I'm a bit burned out from last year's heavy emphasis on textbooks and "Great Books" not that I'm against those. I'd like to try to add something charming and light to the curriculum this year. I don't mean that we would be dancing or singing but I guess I just want to lighten up but don't see how I can. I loved that movie and have never wanted to be a Disney princess until then. Remember, even she made housework look like fun! It was the light hearted attitude and teamwork she brought that made it fun, housework by itself is not fun. I highly encourage dancing and singing during schooltimes, its a great tension breaker. :) I'm only half kidding. We did a composer/music history study last year. Ds decided that conga lines fit perfectly into the study of Gregorian chants. So now when things are gettting a little tense, ds starts a conga line around the house. We then settle down, get back to work and are both in a better frame of mind. I see that she brought joy, wonder, and awe into everything. That is not is in the curriculum, that is in us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Thanks for this post. I needed the reminder to lighten up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gretchen in NJ Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I loved that movie and have never wanted to be a Disney princess until then. Remember, even she made housework look like fun! It was the light hearted attitude and teamwork she brought that made it fun, housework by itself is not fun. I highly encourage dancing and singing during schooltimes, its a great tension breaker. :) I'm only half kidding. We did a composer/music history study last year. Ds decided that conga lines fit perfectly into the study of Gregorian chants. So now when things are gettting a little tense, ds starts a conga line around the house. We then settle down, get back to work and are both in a better frame of mind. I see that she brought joy, wonder, and awe into everything. That is not is in the curriculum, that is in us. Elegant lion, you are so right with, "I see that she brought joy, wonder, and awe into everything. That is not is in the curriculum, that is in us." I am finding that somethimes it is not that the curriculum is bad, but the delivery which is bad. Dd10 disliked OPG. Then, I started to dislike OPG. But, I believed in the curriculum, so I did not want to change it. What was left to change? Me. My delivery. We took a 2 week break and then returned to OPG. I made my delivery of the lesson more fun. I started to lightly tickle her as she read. This made her laugh. We breezed through OPG in a flash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Mama Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 My children have never been fond of textbooks, and we've rarely used them for subjects other than math & HS science. Instead we use living books and have lots of discussions. My children love to share thier mined treasures with me & one another. If your children are stuck with reading dry, lifeless textbooks and rarely get to interact with others about what they are learning, school will be dull & boring. You can change their experience by changing your approach. My children have read some beefy primary source documents and literature that I even struggled to comprehend, but they enjoyed the process because we interacted with the material. Enthusiastic teachers who love their subjects tend to draw in their student. Maybe do a few read alouds together just to bring life back into your homeschool. You can bring refreshment to your homeschool without having the perfect curriculum, but I would ditch the textbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 How about "lightening up" geography by once a week eating your way around the world and watching a movie set in that countries that your meal was from? Rent from Netflix or from the library a travelog film or a PBS episode of "Rick Steves" travels around the world, or Michael Palin's "Full Circle." Or get a feature film set in a foreign locale -- like the very silly spoofy "Ballywood" musical version of Pride and Prejudice set in modern day Ameritsa India called "Bride and Prejudice" watch it after a meal of curry and naan! Or try one of these other family-friendly films: - Mongolia = "The Weeping Camel" = gentle, charming story of nomadic family - Iraq = "Baran" = beautiful but sad modern-day Cinderella-like story - South Africa = "Duma" = richly colorful film adventures of a boy and a cheetah - Eastern Europe = "I Am David" = escape, struggle, journey, and redemption after WW2 Italy = "Enchanted April" = sweet, fun, redeeming: 4 sad English women bloom on a flower-covered Italian island in 1920 - Ireland = "The Secret of Roan Innish" = magical and charming legend comes to life - Great Britian/India = "The Secret Garden" = beautiful, magical, life-affirming - Arabia = "The Thief of Baghdad" = charming, fun and magical B&W SILENT FILM with Douglas Fairbanks - New Zealand = "Whale Rider" = a young Maori girl comes to understand her heritage - Thailand = "The King and I" or "Anna and the King" = lush settings, even if the stories are completely off from the truth - Morroco = "Casablanca" (classic B&W Bogie film) or "Road to Morroco" (classic Hope & Crosby road picture) - Japan = "Spirited Away" = breath-taking, incredible animated magical adventure in a Japanese spirit world - American South = "Because of Winn-Dixie" = a girl and her dog bring reconciliation - nature settings = "Rivers and Tides" = incredible artwork of Irish nature artist Andy Goldworthy Enjoy! Warmly, Lori D. Love this idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Loved "The Weeping Camel" You could add one : IRAN--Children of Heaven http://www.cinemajidi.com/children/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Is there any curriculum that comes close to the style of the movie? I guess I'm a bit burned out from last year's heavy emphasis on textbooks and "Great Books" not that I'm against those. I'd like to try to add something charming and light to the curriculum this year. I don't mean that we would be dancing or singing but I guess I just want to lighten up but don't see how I can. Konos or WP? Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Oops -- double post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Yeah, WinterPromise also comes to mind. Maybe something like Enki or Oak Meadow, depending on how old your kids are :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Hi Emily! No advice for you, I just wanted to say hi! I've always wondered who "Merry" was on this board! I'm "Merry" on some other boards so it's funny to see my name here & have it not be me! Anyway, I hope you find what you're looking for! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyomom Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 My children have never been fond of textbooks, and we've rarely used them for subjects other than math & HS science. Instead we use living books and have lots of discussions. My children love to share thier mined treasures with me & one another. If your children are stuck with reading dry, lifeless textbooks and rarely get to interact with others about what they are learning, school will be dull & boring. You can change their experience by changing your approach. My children have read some beefy primary source documents and literature that I even struggled to comprehend, but they enjoyed the process because we interacted with the material. Enthusiastic teachers who love their subjects tend to draw in their student. Maybe do a few read alouds together just to bring life back into your homeschool. You can bring refreshment to your homeschool without having the perfect curriculum, but I would ditch the textbooks. We tend to get drug down and burned out hating school two months into it. I wake up dreading school and always think oh if I just had a really fun curriculum I am eager to teach. Then I read this post and realized when I read MOH stories to the kids and do the activities, or read the read alouds to them about these characters, school becomes exciting again because I really enjoy MOH and the way Linda Hobar delivers her lessons. It really is about ME and MY attitude. I have to remember this daily this year!!!! I am going to try to keep a spring in my step and a happy heart. :) Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Lots of great replies & advice. I, too, need to remember my own attitude & delivery. It's one of my challenges to myself for our upcoming school year. :001_smile: Now, some misc. comments on things that we do or are planning to do to add 'fun' into our day, lol... For cooking around the world, I saw a great cookbook in Borders the other week: Around the World Cookbook by Abigail Johnson Dodge. I'm planning to order it for us. I liked the recipes (looked tasty & like things that the kids would actually enjoy trying/eating) & the clear instructions. Also, they gave snippets of info about the area of the world from which the recipe came. My kids love Harry Potter. I ordered two books: The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Companion. A few times a week, I'll read a section (usually 2-3 pages) out loud during lunch. It's a great way to discuss books, vocabulary, history, etc.... These books tell about the historical basis for many of the things in the HP books -- like the basilisk being described by Pliny the Elder, cauldrons being used as both everday items & as part of religious/ritual offerings & that Shakespeare even used them in Macbeth, etc.... My kids love when we read a section, talk about how the item is depicted in the book & the historical basis from which it came, other instances we've seen or heard about it in other books or movies, and so on. I think there are similar companion books like this for The Lord of the Rings too. Another thing my kids find fun is when we work on a logic puzzle, riddles, or trickster type tales during lunch. We do it orally, rather than writing things down. I have Portraits of American Girlhood & plan to add in some of the projects/studies to our school year. The companion books that go along w/ the American Girl historical dolls are a great resource (cookbooks, activity/craft books, and "Welcome to ____'s World" books). The crafts & recipes are fun to make. Go to an indoor jumpy place (w/ the big inflatables) every once in awhile for PE. (Pssstttt -- the adults usually get in free & we get to jump too. I love those places, lol.) We also try to do field trips to assorted performances, museum trips, and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 My children have never been fond of textbooks, and we've rarely used them for subjects other than math & HS science. Instead we use living books and have lots of discussions. My children love to share thier mined treasures with me & one another. If your children are stuck with reading dry, lifeless textbooks and rarely get to interact with others about what they are learning, school will be dull & boring. You can change their experience by changing your approach. My children have read some beefy primary source documents and literature that I even struggled to comprehend, but they enjoyed the process because we interacted with the material. Enthusiastic teachers who love their subjects tend to draw in their student. Maybe do a few read alouds together just to bring life back into your homeschool. You can bring refreshment to your homeschool without having the perfect curriculum, but I would ditch the textbooks. :iagree: This has been my approach in the last year, too. The textbook subjects we still use- mainly maths and grammar- are still my kids least favourite subjects. Living books- some read aloud and some independent reading- and lots of discussions bring things alive here. A weekly nature walk and study- this term we are studying the local birds- is another hit. Keeping the day relatively short. Having time for their interests. And yes, my attitude makes all the difference. Humour is important. I do not enjoy pushing my kids, and nowadays I seem not to have to- I encourage them to keep focused, but don't push them. Its a relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetreasurs Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 :iagree:Too funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry Posted July 26, 2008 Author Share Posted July 26, 2008 light, sparkling fun curriculum. It looks wonderful! I can also see that my attitude has a lot to do with it. The other's suggestions are quite helpful. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamoon Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 not really related, but i loved your post and spirit. i can relate. i just saw mamma mia, and i just wanted to sing and dance. the filming around greece was breathtaking! mamamoon:lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadiegirl Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 I need to remember this thread as we get into our school year. I don't like our math or grammar anymore than they do but I know it is something we have to do. I do try to watch for any fun sites on math or books that teach with humor(i.e. Life of Fred, horrible books,etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline4kids Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Or get a feature film set in a foreign locale -- like the very silly spoofy "Ballywood" musical version of Pride and Prejudice set in modern day Ameritsa India called "Bride and Prejudice" watch it after a meal of curry and naan! Or try one of these other family-friendly films: - Mongolia = "The Weeping Camel" = gentle, charming story of nomadic family - Iraq = "Baran" = beautiful but sad modern-day Cinderella-like story - South Africa = "Duma" = richly colorful film adventures of a boy and a cheetah - Eastern Europe = "I Am David" = escape, struggle, journey, and redemption after WW2 Italy = "Enchanted April" = sweet, fun, redeeming: 4 sad English women bloom on a flower-covered Italian island in 1920 - Ireland = "The Secret of Roan Innish" = magical and charming legend comes to life - Great Britian/India = "The Secret Garden" = beautiful, magical, life-affirming - Arabia = "The Thief of Baghdad" = charming, fun and magical B&W SILENT FILM with Douglas Fairbanks - New Zealand = "Whale Rider" = a young Maori girl comes to understand her heritage - Thailand = "The King and I" or "Anna and the King" = lush settings, even if the stories are completely off from the truth - Morroco = "Casablanca" (classic B&W Bogie film) or "Road to Morroco" (classic Hope & Crosby road picture) - Japan = "Spirited Away" = breath-taking, incredible animated magical adventure in a Japanese spirit world - American South = "Because of Winn-Dixie" = a girl and her dog bring reconciliation - nature settings = "Rivers and Tides" = incredible artwork of Irish nature artist Andy Goldworthy Enjoy! Warmly, Lori D. I so agree with this also. My kids LOVED Bride and Prejudice! It was so colorful and happy! We also just watched the Weeping Camel. Movies are a great idea. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela&4boys Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I try to be careful not to squelch the joy out of our homeschool. After all, isn't what brings us joy what we want to remember? Although I don't let the children dictate (or at least I don't let them think they do ;)), I do pay close attention to their natural interests. I believe it's called delight-directed learning in some circles. For example, my 8 yo ds was introduced to coin collecting by his Nana. This started a firestorm of passion with not only regard to coins, but states and countries. He has learned more about geography than I could've ever taught him with a textbook. He found the globe and U.S. and World maps and I pulled out the atlases for him. I never thought he'd be delighted to see a used world atlas in the mail, but he was! Both my 11yo and 8yo guys love to watch Survivor Man and Man vs. Wild. We got them both some basic supplies... pocket-knife, canteen, and various other items at the Army surplus store. Well, they have a "fort" complete with rooms, coverings, made a fishing pole, a small floating dock, and even dressed a wound with vines and a piece of cloth they tore from one of their boxers! (I had to bite my tongue on that last one!) :), Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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